

. L°) LJ33 



LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 







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Copy 1 



-^ JULY 25. 




1899 I 

OCT. 13. ^ 



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LuNDY's Lane. 



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I A BRIEF ACCOUNT I 

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^ OF A THIRD MILITARY RE-INTERMENT AT J 
^ LUNDY'S LANE, OCT. 13th. 1899. ^ 

^ WITH NOTES, &c. ^ 



^ LUNDY'S Lane Historicai SogIety. ^ 



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PRICE, 10 CENTS. 



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PREFACE. 



UNDY'S Lane is very famous in Cana- 
dian history, made famous by the 
fierce battle fought on July 25, 18 14. 
It is on rising ground one mile west 
from Niagara Falls, a high point 
between Lakes Erie and Ontario. A thin belt 
of chestnut forest surrounded the hill which 
had been donated in 1800 as a village burial 
ground, but after the battle the hill became a 
military cemetery of necessity, and adjacent 
fields were also used as burial places, where- 
ever the fallen killed were found. 




, !5?. ^^-■■ 



^:X(''k L 



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■Whepe the Hepoes ape Bupied. 



Honors lor tlie Brav6 Dead. 



Re-Interment of the Remains of the Heroes of Lundy's Lane — 
A Military Funeral Attended by the Heads of the Local 
Militia and Upwards of 3000 Citizens — Speeches by Col. 
Cruikshank, W. McCleary, M. P!, and Hon. J. G. Currie. 



HISTORICAL SKETCH OF EVENTS AT THE TIME OF THE BATTLE. 



A general holiday was observed in the 
town and village of Niagara Falls on 
Oct. 13th, when the impressive ceremony 
of re-interring the remains of the Bri- 
tish soldiers was observed. It was an 
ideal Indian summer day and thousands 
of people from far and near went out 
to do honor to the dead, who had fought 
and died for this fair Canada of ours. 
Soon after noon the crowd began to as- 
semble and by the hour appointed for 
the ceremony there were thousands lin- 
e4 up on main street and along Lundy's 
Lane to the cemetery. 

At three o'clock the funeral procession 
was marshalled by Messrs. R. Garner 
and Wm. Dalton, and left Morse's un- 
dertaking establishment. 

The route was up Main to Barker 
street, up Barker street to Victoria Ave., 
thence down to Gulp street, down Gulp 
to Main, and up Lundy's Lane to the 
cemetery. The order ol the procession 
was as follows,— 



44tb Battalion Band. 

Military Escort, No. 1 Company 

44th Battalion, In command of Capt. 

Vaudersluys. 

Veterans' Association, 

Represented by Col. W. M. Parker. 

Hearse. 

Pallbearers. 

Major Bvirch and Capt. StuU, 

2nd Dragoons. 

Capt. Kennedy and Lieut. Chatterton, 

19tli Battalion. 

Lieut. C. H. Mitchell and Surgeou-Lleut. 

Thompson, 44th Battalion. 

Military Officers. 

Major Sheppard, Lieut. Sheppard and Chap- 
lain Kov. K. H. M. Innes, 2nd Dragoons; Major 
Campbell. Capt. W. T. GlbS' n and Chaplain, Rev. 
K. Ker. 19th Battalion; Lieut-Col. Cruikshank, 
Major Cohoe, Capt. and Adjutant Hill, ("apt. 
Greenwood, Capt. Rose and Chaplain Rev. G. 
Johnstone, 44th Battalion ; Also Col. O'Malley, 
Major Day, Major Bender and Capt. Strother, un- 
attached. 

Welland County Council. Warden Henderson 
and Councillors Lieut. -Col. Cruikshank, G. F. 
House, E Morden, J. Harrison Pew an 1 Walter 
LTpper. 

Pupils of the Stamford High School, Pupils of 
Village Public School, Pupils of the Niagara 



Falls Collegiate Institute, Pupils of the Niagara 
Falls Public School. 

Lundy's Lane Hisiorlcal Society. 

Clergymen— Ven. Archdeacon Houston, Niagara 
Falls; Rev. Canon McKeuzle, Chippawa; Kev. 
Henry Softley, Toronto. 

It is estimated that there were about 
eight hundred in the procession, includ- 
ing six hundred children. 

On the arrival at the cemetery, Rev. 
Canon Bull, president of the Lundy's 
Lane Historical Society, ascended the 
steps of the soldiers' monument and call- 
ed for the presentation of wreaths and 
flowers. 

Wreaths of maple leaves were pre- 
sented by representatives of the Stam- 
ford High School, the village school, the 
Niagara Falls collegiate institute ; also 
the public school. There were also bou- 
quets from St. Catharines and one from 
an American lady, a Mrs. Cameron, of 
Washington, D. C. Thejn the caskets 
covered with the British flag, as was 
also the hearse, was carried to the mon- 
ument, and Rev. Canon Bull read a por- 
tion of the solemn burial service of the 
Church of England. After the tisual 
scriptural sentences had been pronounc- 
ed, he said these words of committal,— 

Forasmuch as it has pleased Almighty 
God, in His great meTcy,to allot to His 
people here on r .earth that a faithful 
service and acts of piety should be ren- 
dered by thera for His name sake, we 
therefore commit these mortal re- 
mains of British soldiers to this burial 
vault, to await the resurrection in the 
last day, through Jesus Christ, our 
Lord." He concluded with the follow- 
ing prayer,— "We beseech Thee, Lord, 
to save and defend all Christian Kings, 
Princes and Governors, and specially 
Thy servant, Victoria, our Queen, that 
under her the whole empire may be 
godly and quietly governed, and grant 
unto her whole couaicil, and to all that 
are put in authority under her, that 
they may truly and indifferently minis- 
ter justice to the punishment of wick- 
edness and vice, and to the maintenance 



of Thy true religion ajid virtue. Grant 
this, O Lord, for Jesus Christ's sake, 
our only mediator and advocate. Amen." 
Then, while the casket was being placed 
in the vault, the firing party fired three 
volleys, and the committal was con- 
cluded. 

LIEUT. COLONEL CRUIKSHANK 

Was the first speaker. He said,— 
We have met to-day to pay a tribute 
of respect to the memory of those sol- 
diers of the 89th and 103rd regiments, 
whose remains are now re-interred and 
also in a sense to reaffirm our devo- 
tion to the cause for which they died. 
They fell fighting for the integrity of 
the British Empire, while engaged in re- 
pelling a most formidable invasion of 
this province. This was in fact, not the 
least important chapter of the mortal 
struggle with the first Napoleon. In the 
beginning of the year 1812, that great 
soldier was at the summit of his power. 
He had triumphed repeatedly over the 
mightiest collections of European pow- 
ers. The frontiers of France had been 
extended by conquest to include Belgium, 
Switzerland, a large part of Italy and 
several German provinces. A French 
marshall had become King of Sweden. 
The Emperor had placed one of his bro- 
thers on the throne of Holland. An- 
other wore the crown of Spain and for 
a third he had carved a kingdom out of 
the heart of Germany. He had made his 
brother-in-law King of Naples and his 
stepson Viceroy of Italy. The Emper- 
or of Austria, the kings of Denmark, 
Prussia, Bavaria and Saxony had been 
reduced to the position of vassals, whose 
armies and revenues were at the com- 
mand of the conqueror. The Sultan of 
Turkey was his firm ally. French gar- 
risons were everywhere. Such a dream 
of empire had never been realized be- 
fore ; no power of the imagination can 
conjure back the prestige of resistless 
power and invincibility which was at- 
tached to his name at that moment. 

After twenty years of battle Great 
Britain alone continued the contest. 



Children had been born and grown to 
manhood since the conflict began and 
after all that bloodshed the power of 
"the Corsican tyrant" as our ancestors 
delighted to call him. was more firmly 
established than ever. It Is true that 
she was mistress of the sea, but in that 
whole vast coastline extending from 
Hammerfast to the Golden Horn there 
were but two ports— Cadiz and Lisbon 
—which her ships could enter in peace 
and these only because they were held 
by British garrisons. That gallant lit- 
tle army that had been fighting for three 
years in Portugal and Spain had lately 
been forced to retire to these famous 
lines at the gates of Lisbon, whence it 
was destined to march forth to victory 
on victory, but that result no one fore- 
saw or expected. ' ' 

Such was the time selected by the 
United States to declare war. The hgur 
of England's need would be their oppor- 
tunity they shrewdly argued. They 
would take Canada they proclaimed, and 
none dared gainsay them. Never since 
the days of Thermopylae had a contest 
seemed more hopeless. Beyond the At- 
lantic Britain found a continent in 
arms. Here a nation of eight millions 
was arrayed against these provinces 
with a population of less than five hun- 
dred thousand. In Upper Canada less 
than eighty thousand people occupied a 
narrow fringe of settled country, skirt- 
ing the lakes and rivers froml the Ot- 
tawa to Lake Huron, of whom probably 
one third were disaffected or apa- 
thetic. It was confidentially asserted 
that the militia of Kentucky alone would 
suffice to conquer them. The Governor- 
General frankly confessed that he 
scarcely hoped to retain anything out- 
side of the walls of Quebec. General 
Brock, on the whole much more hope- 
ful and sanguine, admitted that Upper 
Canada would probably be overrun. The 
British Naval Chronicle, referring to 
General Hull's proclam.ation on crossing 
the Detroit River, which it had just 
received, said,— "This may prove the 



forerunner of the fall of Canada, which 
once gone in all probability will never 
return to the British crown any more 
than Hanover." 

Had any one ventured then to pre- 
dict that not only would every attempt 
at invasion be ignominiously baffled, but 
that in less than three years; one 
British army would march in triumph 
into Paris and another into Washington, 
he would have been regarded as a mad- 
man. 

The battle fought here five and eighty 
years ago was remarkable and memor- 
able for several reasons. It was the 
turning point of the last and most for- 
midable campaign of invasion. After 
threatening the forts at the mouth of 
this river for some days the American 
army had retired to Chippawa with the 
intention, as its commander stated, of 
sending away his surplus baggage and 
making a rapid advance across the coun- 
try against Burlington Heights, where 
he hoped to be joined by* the American 
fleet on Lake Ontario. An urgent sum- 
mons had that morning been issued to 
the Indians in the U. S. service to re- 
join him in tima to take part in this 
movement. The advance guards of the 
two armies came into collision quite un- 
expectedly at this place shortly before 
night, I5th July, 1814, and drew the re- 
mainder of the forces on both sides 
that were within marching distance into 
a prolonged and bloody struggle, which 
neither of their commanders had intend- 
ed to bring on at that moment. The 
battle consequently was mainly fought 
in darkness and disorder, beginning near 
sunset and lasting nearly until mid- 
night. On both sides the soldiers dis- 
played great discipline, courage and 
tenacity in very trying circumstances, 
and the number of killed and wounded 
was unusually large. Neither at Au- 
sterlitz or "Waterloo, at Gettysburg or 
Gravelotte was the loss proportionate- 
ly so great in respect to the numbers en- 
gaged. Of ^809 British soldiers 878, or 
almost one third, were reported killed. 



wounded or missing. The losses of in- 
dividual corps were in some cases even 
larger. The 89th regiment brought 403 
officers and men into action and lost £54, 
or five out of every eight. The incor- 
porated militia lost 142 out of less than 
303. 

Quite one third of the British troops 
engaged were Canadians. The 104th 
regiment, the Glengarry Light Infan- 
try and Incorporated militia had all been 
enlisted and mainly officered from these 
provinces. Besides these corps, which 
were practically regular soldiers, there 
were detachments of the Lincoln, Mid- 
dlesex, Norfolk, Oxford and York mil- 
itia and the Provincial Light Dragoons. 
Their aggregate loss was 209 officers 
and men. 

The spot where we now stand was 
the scene of the hardest fighting. Here 
the 89th regiment, to which most of 
these dead soldiers belonged, fought and 
fell around their colors which we are 
told formed a rallying point for all the 
other corps. Here, where the victory 
was won, the survivors slept beside the 
guns they had regained and retained at 
such terrific cost. Here, too, the dead 
were huddled into a trench with scant 
ceremony. 

You do well to cherish the inemory 
of the men who died here for the Em- 
pire. To the patriotic efforts of the 
Lundy's Lane Historical Society mainly 
is' due the handsome monument that 
commemorates them. But to my mind 
it is yet incomplete. A tablet should be 
affixed to it, recording the names of 
those who fell. (This is being done). 

You will find that some American his- 
torians of repute deny that the battle 
was a British victory. If the concur- 
rent testimony of all British authorities 
fail to convince, the evidence of Gen- 
erals Ripley, Porter, Major Hindsman 
and other American officers of rank 
which has lately been printed ought to 
be sufficient. But in this case deeds 
are more eloquent than words. A vic- 
torious army does not abandon the field 



of battle, leaving its dead and wounded 
and. part of its artillery in the hands of 
a beaten enemy. A victorious army 
does not relinquish its designs of aggres- 
sion and retreat twenty miles in a 
single day. A victorious army does not 
destroy its baggage and burn bridges 
behind it to check pursuit. 

It may be said that by commemorat- 
ing these events we are trying to open 
old sores ; that is quite untrue. No self- 
respecting people can afford to ignore 
the memorable events of its history. The 
great and noble deeds of the past when 
opportunity offers, will inspire great and 
noble deeds in the future. Those whose 
corps belong to the brood of Little Eng- 
landers, who say "ye must not speak 
of Trafalgar or Waterloo, least ye give 
offence," were they Swiss, they would 
doubtless consult their countrymen to 
forget the glories of Sempach and Mor- 
ga'rten. Were they Greeks they would 
strive to blot out the memoryf of Mara- 
thon and Salamis. 

There is no thought of hostility or 
boastfulness in our hearts to-day. We 
sincerely desire to be friends with our 
neighbors— allies if they will,- but they 
must not expect that we can altcgether 
forget the past or the cause that in- 
cited the heroic deeds of our forefathers, 
or forego the course sanctified by the 
blood of our ancestors. 

WILLIAM McCLEARY, M. P., 
Followed with a short patriotic speech, 
which stirred the loyalty of the thou- 
sands in his hearing. He said he was 
glad to meet with the loyal and pat- 
riotic men, women, girls and boys who 
have gathered here and believed that 
this great assembly is attributable first 
and foremost to the fact that the mar- 
tial spirit is abroad in Canada to-day. 
Loyal sentiment has never been so deep- 
ly stirred as it is at present, when 
Britain is at war with the South Afri- 
can Republics. He had heard the words 
"old sores" mentioned to-day and agreed 
with the colonel that there are now no 
old sores. There is a different feeling 



across the line, and it is nothing but 
the great heart of England that has 
brought all this about. Lord Curzon rose 
in ills place in the House of Commons 
and declared the neutrality of Britain 
in the Spanish American War, but at 
the same time stated that if any nation 
attempted to side with Spain the British 
navy would protect the American coasts 
and join forces with the United States 
navy. This settled the matter, and he 
thought Americans do not forget it. But 
to-day British soldiers are fighting for 
the freedom of South Africa. He did not 
want to make political capital out of 
this, but was ashamed that Canada has 
not before this sent out a contingent 
of volunteers. There is a minister in 
the Canadian Cabinet who has the auda- 
city to ask, "What right has Canada 
to send help to South Africa?" He then 
denounced the disloyalty of Mr. Tarte 
and his paper. La Patrie, also the re- 
solutions passed by the Ancient Order 
of Hibernians in Montreal. British Im- 
perialism should be upheld regardless oC 
politics, and he appealed to them as Bii- 
itsh Canadians to stand fast to their 
principles. He felt sure of the ultlmalc 
success of the British forces in this con- 
flict, for behind them is the great arm 
of Almighty God. The English rnce 
must not only control Africa but the 
whole world. 

HON. J. G. CURRIE, 
Of St. Catharines, was given a hoarly 
welcome. He complimented Mr. Mc- 
Cleary, who now represented in Parlia- 
ment the same county that he once had 
the honor to represent. Speaking of old 
sores, they had been healed long Jigo, 
and he was happy to state that never 
before during his residence of three 
score years and ten along the border 
had such a good feeling existed as there 
now is. As was said in Chicago, "If 
the flags of the United States and Eng- 
land are ever to be seen on the battle 
field, let them wave together." In re- 
gard to the achievements in 1812-14, he 
reminded his hearers that, while not 



wishing to belittle the services of the 
Canadian volunteers, it was the regular 
army that had done most of the heavy 
fighting.and hence deserved the greatest 
credit. 

At' this stage Rev. Canon Bull took 
occasion to thank Messrs. W. Dalton, M. 
Morse, R. W. Geary, R. Garner and all 
others who assisted in collecting the re- 
mains and relics. 

THE LAURA SECORD FUND. 
Mrs. Thompson, of Toronto, represent- 
ing the Ontario Historical Society, spoke 
briefly on behalf of the Laura Secord 
monument fund. The society required 
$1,000, and of the amount $G00 had al- 
ready been raised. Nothing had yet 
been collected from the Niagara District 
and she .asked for 10 cent subscriptions 
from the loyal Canadian men and 
women, and one cent each from the 
children. It was hoped to have the 
monument erected by the 23rd of June, 
next year, the anniversary of the brave 
deed of a brave and loyal woman. 
HISTORICAL. 
A brief resume is here added of the 
discovery of a third British military 
burial trench near Lundy's Lane, where 
(lie remains of five British soldiers kill- 
ed at the Batt'le of July< 25, 1814, were 
found Sept. 12, 1899. 

The discovery was made by Austin 
Morse and fellow workmen on the north 
margin of Morse's large sand pit. This 
trench was on line (east) with the trench 
found eight years ago under similar cir- 
cumstances—widening the sand pit to 
obtain a new course of sand. These 
remains were found about two feet be- 
low the surface and were identified by 
numerous buttons marked with the fig- 
ures 89 and 103, and a few smaller but- 
tons marked with a crown. 

Undertaker Morse was then instruct- 
ed to take charge of the remains, plac- 
ing them in a casket with plate bear- 
ing the figures 89th and 103rd, to be, de- 
posited with military honors in the vault 
of the monument. On the day appointed 



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13th. October (the anniversary of an- 
other great battle— Queenston Heights) 
the re-interment took place. On the 
casket were placed three colours, old and 
tattered, but precious, of the Lincoln 
militia^ of 1812-14 and two beautiful 
wreaths of tinted oak and maple leaves. 
Within were figures 89 and 103. The 
remains were enclosed in a plain, black 
coffin, with a plate bearing the fcllow- 
ing inscription,— 



Kemalns of Five Soldiers of the 

89tli and 103rd Regiments 

who fell near this spot 

July 25th, 1814. 

Re- interred with Milltai-y Honors 

October 13th, 1899. 



After the solemn words of committal 
to the vault, pronounced by Rev. Canon 
Bull, the firing party discharged the us- 
ual volleys, under the command of Capt. 
Vandersluys, 44th regiment. 

Amid the great concourse of people at 
the re-interment, stoDd a detachment of 
the 44th batt, Welland, with firing party 
and band under Capt. Vandersluys, and 
another of the 19th batt., Lincoln, under 
Capt.Kennedy. Hundreds of young col- 
lege students and public school children 
were well arranged under their respect- 
ive principals. The warden of the coun- 
ty of Welland, the mayor of Niagara, the 
reeves and their respective councils of 
adjacent municipalities were in full at- 
tendance. TowTispeople and others un- 
ited in the procession, with the Lundy's 
Lane Historical Society and other sim- 
ilar societies of the Niagara River Dis- 
trict ; Ralph Garner acted as marshall. 

At the conclusion all voices united, in 
singing the National Anthem,— 

God save our gracious Queen, 
Long live our noble Queen, 

God save the Queen ; 
Send her victorious, 
Happy and glorious. 
Long to reign over ua 

God save our Queen. 

Thy choicest gifts in store. 
On her be pleased to pour, 

God save the Queen ; 
May she defend our laws. 



And ever give us cause. 
To sing with heart and voice, 
God save the Queen. 

Far from the Mother land. 
Nobly we'll fall or stand 

By England's Queen ; 
Through towns and forests free, 
Britons undaunted we 
Sing with true loyalty, 

God save the Queen. 

It is a principle of loyalty and patriot- 
ism to honor the memory of the brave 
soldier, the wise statesman and the 
christian benefactor, and others like 
them, good and true men and women 
who have well served their generation. 
The Canadian Parliament four years ago 
testified its sense of gratitude in mem- 
ory of the brave men killed at Lundy's 
Lane in 1814, by erecting a fine monu- 
ment. It is built of light grey granite 
and stands full forty feet high. On' the 
north side of the inscription appears,— 
"Erected by the Canadian Parliament 
in honor of the victory gained by the 
British and Canadian forces on this 
field, on the 25th July. 1814, and In grate- 
ful remembrance of the brave men who 
died here on that day fighting for the 
unity of the Empire, 1893." On the 
south side is the vault. 

As on former similar occasions this 
funereal scene was deeply solemn and im- 
pressive; it spoke of the successful de- 
fence of this country, 85 years ago, by 
British regulars, Canadian militia and 
Indian allies, against an enemy far sup- 
erior in numbers ; it spoke of the brave 
dead, killed in battle, and of the terrible 
sufferings of families during the three 
years of that war. 

Most happily it is now a period of 
peace ; it has been so for m^ny years. 
Enemies have become friends, and we 
forgive them and respect them, but we 
may never forget the men and women 
who defended their Canadian homes.and 
aided in preserving the integrity of 
this part of the British Empire, eighty- 
five years ago. 

Major-General Porter of the U. S. 
Army, in a letter to Governor Tomp- 



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kins, N. T., July 29th, 1814, wrote asi fol- 
lows of the fierceness of the battle,— 
"Our Canadian Campaign seems draw- 
ing to a close, or must, at any rate, be 
suspended for want of reinforcements. 
After a month spent in marching and 
counter-marching we have got back to 
the point from which we set out, much 
Impaired in strength, but I hope not 
disheartened." 

Referring then to Lundy's Lane en- 
gagements. General Porter added,— "In 
the last (Lundy's Lane) we were most 
unlucky both as to time and| place, the 
action having been commenced 3 miles 
from camp about sundown, with one- 
third of our army against a greatly 
superior force occupying a commanding 
position.* But no disadvantage of time, 
place or circumstance could resist the 
desperate bravery of the American sol- 
diery." 

"Our victory was complete, but, alas, 
this victory gained by exhibitions of 
bravery never surpassed in this 
country, was converted into a defeat by 
a precipitate retreat, leaving the dead, 
the wounded, the captured artillery and 
our hard earned honor to the enemy. I 
entered my remonstrance against this 
measure and I confess at the time I al- 
most wished that fate had swept an- 
other general from the combat."** 

The awful scene of Lundy's Lane bat- 
tle ground on July 26, 1814, is thus de- 
cribed by an U. S. army' surgeon. Dr. 
Bull, Buffalo, July 31, 1814,-"The dead 
had not been removed during the night 
and such a scene of carnage, I never 
beheld, particularly at Lundy's Lane, 
blue and grey were promiscuously inter- 
mingled, in mainy places three deep, and 
around the hill where the enemy's ar- 
tillery was carried by Col. Miller, the 
carcasses of 60 or 70 horses disfigured 
the scene." 

These extracts are enough to show 

* The United States forces were .5000 at 6 p. m ; 
British forces were 1800 at 6 p. m. and 1600 added 
at 9 p. m. 

** Generals Scott and Brown were wounded. 



that the British-Canadian forces, which 
were much less than those of the enemy, 
must also have fought with a desperate 
courage to defend their country and new 
homes ; that the men of the British re- 
giments, young men, too, not veterans, 
must have bravely kept their ground ; 
that these sixteen men of the old 89th 
and 103rd regimen ts.whose remains have 
been placed im the vault.must have fallen 
together and were hastily buried where 
they fell. For long years their mortal 
frames have been mouldering in one field 
or another adjacent to the battle-hill. 
As comrades, their mortal remains will 
still rest together in the vault, erected 
by a grateful country for their recep- 
tion. Add to their number three others 
—men of the 1st Royal Scots, killed on 
the same "day in 1814, andi placed in, the 
vault six years ago. Total number in 
the vault at this date ia nineteen, with- 
in eight years. i 

A stranger now visiting Lundy's Lane 
hill, and viewing its peaceful surround- 
ings of comfortable residences, fine 
lawns, gardens and vineyards could not 
conceive the terrible scene of carnage 
that afflicted the land 85 years ago. 
Time has done very much to blot out all 
the sadness of destruction, desolation 
and woe. The scene now is changed ; 
it is now a land of peace and industry, 
of fruits and flowers, not of ashes. 

And so, loyal and patriotic British Can- 
adians trust that ever hereafter peace 
andi good will may prevail, between 
Great Britain and the U. S., and that 
contentment and prosperity may con- 
tinue far and near, throughout their 
vast territories. 



10 



HEROES OP LUNDY'S LANE. 

An Impromptu. Re-Interment of Oct. 
13th. 1899. 

Take them) from out their unmarked 
grave, 

Where a hundred years before. 
Sad comrades of the battle-field 

Laid them all fresh in gore. 

Take the poor remnants of their mortal 
clay,— 
A few dry bones,— remains of valiant 
men; 
Shake from the mouldering skull, the 
ragged bullet gray; 
And from their sacred dust, the rusted 
button claim. 

Heroes of Lundy's Lane 1 Alas 1 
Thy names forgotten, and thy grave 
unknovra ; 
Yet thine immortal memory shall last 
In patriotic fire,— by great example 
shown. 

Aye I Patriots hold thee in remem- 
brance still, 
And bear with solemn pomp and sym- 
pathetic tears. 
To rest forever on this blood-soaked hill. 
Beneath the stately tomb a grateful 
country rears. 

-R. W. G. 
Lundy's Lane, Oct. 13, 1899. 



LIST OP BUTTONS, COINS, BULLETS, 
&c, &c. 

Found Sept. 12, 1899, in the trench 
with British soldiers' remains, at Drum- 
mond Hill, (north side) Lundy's Lane. 

1 Mexican silver dollar, date 1805. 

1 United States half-dollar, dated 1809. 

35 buttons, 89th regiment, British, 
(large.) 

9 buttons, 89th Regt, British (small). 
14 buttons, 103 Regt., British (large). 

1 button, 103 Regt. British, (large). 

In Copper. 
5 buttons, York volunteers (large). 

3 buttons, York volunteers (small). 

2 buttons, plain silvered, large. 
7 buttons, cloth covered, large. 

4 buttons, small brass. 

17 buttons, broken, various. 

10 bullets, lead. 

1 pocket knife, parts. 
1 iron ferrule. ' 

1 iron buckle. 

1 iron planchet, one inch diameter. 
Several pieces of cloth, leather soles, 
shoes, etc. 



The 89th '* Princess Victoria's" Regiment. 



The Following Panticulaps of the 89th Regiment are taken from an His- 
topical Record of the Regiment Published in 1888. 



The 89th "Princess Victoria's" Regi- 
ment was raised in Ireland in the year 

1793, for service in consequence of the 
breaking out of the French Revolution- 
ary War and saw service in Holland in 

1794, under the Duke of York, in Ireland 
during the rebellion of 1798, at the cap- 
ture of Malta in 1800, and greatly dis- 
tinguished itself in the campaign in 
Egypt under Sir Ralph Abercombie in 
1801. After minor services in Ireland, 
South America and the Cape, the Regi- 
ment again won renown in Madras, Java 
and Sumatra for which it received spec- 
ial mention in the despatches of the 
Commander in Chief. 

In 1803, when Napoleon was meditat- 
ing the invasion of England, a 2nd Bat- 
talion was added to the 89th, this' Bat- 
talion appears to have been employed 
chiefly on home service until the break- 
ing out of the war with the United 
States in 1812, when it was embarked for 
North America and arrived at Halifax 
on 13th October, of that year, where it 
remained in garrison until the spring of 
1813 and embarked for Quebec on 19th 
of May. Arriving at Quebec on the 5th 
June, the regiment was immediately 
landed and pushed on to the scene of 
hostilities in the Upper Province, march- 
ing the 400 miles to Kingston in nineteen 
days. Here the Light Company was de- 
tached for service under Major-General 
De Rottenberg, at that time encamped 
near Fort George, where the enemy had 
retired after the affair at Stoney Creek. 
This company had several severe engage- 
ments with the enemy and particuiariy 



distinguished itself at Black Rock on 
30th December and at the River Thames 
on the 4th March, following. 

Chrysler's Farm, November 11th, 1813. 
— Lieut. -Coi. Morrison with the remain- 
ing companies of the 89th were detain- 
ed at Kingston to assist in its defence 
from an 'expected attack in force by 
General Wilkinson, supported by a 
powerful squadron under Commodore 
Chauncey. About 1st Nov. Gen'l Wil- 
kinson embarked his force and dropped 
down the St. Lawrence with a view of 
capturing Montreal. Col. Morrison with 
detachments of the 89th and 49th, and 
two 6-pounders was ordered tb act as a 
corps of observation, and if possible to 
harrass the rear of Gen*l Wilkinson's 
army ; receiving a reinforcement of 
militia and one gun while en route, he 
landed his force of 803 men at Point 
Iroquois, and advancing rapidly came up 
with a division of the enemy consisting 
of two brigades of infantry and a regi- 
ment of cavalry— between 3,000 and 4,000 
men, with six field pieces— at Chrysler's 
Farm. Notwithstanding the disparity of 
numbers Col. Morrison engaged the en- 
emy, and after a hotly contested fight, 
drove him from the field in confusion. 
With a force now reduced to about 620 
rank and file Coi. Morrison again press- 
ed forvvara in pursuit. Gen'l Wilkinson 
did not await his coming, b'at on tithe 
m.orning of the ISth crossed the river 
vvith his vvhoie force and retired vvith- 
In his own territory, and in February 
destroyed his camp and abandoned the 
exDedition. 



12 



Lundy's Lane, July 25, I814.-Tbe 89th 
was at York (now Toronto) when tidings 
came that Major-General Brown had 
crossed the Niagara with an army of 
5000 men, and had worsted Gen'l Riall 
at Chippawa. Sir Gordon Drummond at 
once ordered forward the89th,who isailed 
on the 24th and arrived off Fort George 
at daylight on the morning of the 25th, 
were disembarked and marched imme- 
diately to Queenston. After a short 
halt they were hastened forward to Lun- 
dy's Lane, where Riall was threatened 
with an attack. The 89th with General 
Drummond at its head, arrived just in 
time to meet the first advance in force 
of the enemy, and it formed the storm 
centre of the conflict, its conspicuous 
gallantry throughout ,this sanguinary 
engagement can best be described in the 
words of General Drummond in his of- 
ficial despatch,— 

"In the reiterated and determined at- 
" tacks which the enemy made on cur 
"centre, for the purpose of gaining, at 
"once, the crest of the position and our 
"guns, the steadiness and intrepidity 
"displayed by the troops allotted for the 
"defence of that post were never sur- 
"passed; they consisted of the 2nd Bat- 
"talion 89th Regiment, commanded by 
"Lieutenant-Colonel Morrison, and,after 
"the Lieutenant-Colonel had been toh- 
"liged to retire from the field by a sev- 
"ere wound, by Major Clifford; a de- 
"tachment of the Royal Scots funder 
"Lieutenant-Colonel Hemphill, and after 
"he was killed. Lieutenant Prazer ; a 
"detachment . of the 8th (or King's) 
"under Captain Campbell, Light com- 
"pany 41st Regiment under Captain 
"Glew, with some detachments of Mil- 
"itia under Lieutenant-Colonel Parry, 103 
"Regiment. These troops repeatedly 
"when hard pressed formed round the 
"dolours of the 89th Regiment, and in- 



" variably repulsed the desperate efforts 
"made against them. On the right, the 
"steadiness and good countenance of the 
"1st BattaUon Royal Scots, under Lieut- 
"enant-Colonel Gordon, on som.e very 
"trying occasions, excited my admir- 
"ation." 

Colonel Cruikshank, a well known his- 
torical authority, has written,— 

"The losses of the 89th, engaged that 
day, were,— Two officers and 27 N. C. 'O. 
and men killed; eleven officers and 177 
N.C.O. and men wounded, and 37 N.C.O. 
and men missing. The two officers kill- 
ed were Capt. Spooner and Lieut. Lath- 
am.— (Total,— 251 out of an aggregate of 
40J of all ranks.) 

"The 89th, under Col. Morrison, were 
the heroes of 'Chrysler's Farm,' which 
put an end, the year before, to the for- 
midable invasion of Lower Canada ; they 
had arrived at York on the 21st July 
with Sir Gordon Drummond, from King- 
ston, and immediately (embarked for 
Niagara. 

Col. Cruikshank also says, "the 103rd 
were. Like the 4ist, a 'boy regiment,' 
and on this account were not permit- 
ted during the previous year to serve 
in the field, but kept on garrison duty. 
They were part of Scott's brigade, that 
made the famous march of more than '20 
miles (part of the distance having 
been doubled on account of countermand- 
ing orders) from St. Catharines, then 
known as 'The Twelve,' bn the afternoon 
of the 25th, and readily engaged the 
enemy at 9 o'clock. 

"It was at such an evening service- 
held, not in the church, though in its 
very yard, and to which they were sum- 
moned, not by the vesper bell, but by the 
booming of cannon and the murderous 
rattle of musketry— that the lads of the 
103rd received their 'baptism' of fire." 



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